Amylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starches into sugars. Amylases can hydrolyze internal alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkages in starch, largely at random, to produce smaller molecular weight malto-dextrins. The product of hydrolysis of one amylase, alpha-amylase (α-amylase) can be maltose, maltotriose or α-dextrin. These polysaccharides can be converted to glucose by the action of other enzymes including, for example, beta-amylase (β-amylase). Some β-amylases hydrolyze residues at the non-reducing terminus of the polysaccharide.
Amylases can be used commercially in the initial stages (liquefaction) of starch processing; in wet corn milling; in alcohol production; as cleaning agents in detergent matrices; in the textile industry for starch desizing; in baking applications; in the beverage industry; in oilfields in drilling processes; in inking of recycled paper and in animal feed. Amylases are also useful in textile desizing, brewing processes, starch modification in the paper and pulp industry and other processes.